Mitsubishi A6M Zero

A6M "Zero"
A6M3 Model 22 N712Z, operated by the Commemorative Air Force So. Cal. Wing[Note 1]
Role	Carrier-based fighter aircraft Type of aircraft
National origin	Japan
Manufacturer	Mitsubishi Heavy Industries
First flight	1 April 1939
Introduction	1 July 1940
Retired	1945 (Japan)
Primary user	Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service
Produced	1939–1945
Number built	10,939
Developed from	Mitsubishi A5M
Variants	Nakajima A6M2-N
Developed into	Mitsubishi A7M

The Mitsubishi A6M "Zero" is a long-range carrier-based fighter aircraft formerly manufactured by Mitsubishi Aircraft Company, a part of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. It was operated by the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) from 1940 to 1945. The A6M was designated as the Mitsubishi Navy Type 0 carrier fighter^[1] (零式艦上戦闘機, rei-shiki-kanjō-sentōki), or the Mitsubishi A6M Rei-sen. The A6M was usually referred to by its pilots as the Reisen (零戦, zero fighter), "0" being the last digit of the imperial year 2600 (1940) when it entered service with the Imperial Navy. The official Allied reporting name was "Zeke", although the name "Zero" was used colloquially as well.

The Zero is considered to have been the most capable carrier-based fighter in the world when it was introduced early in World War II, combining excellent maneuverability and very long range.^[2] The Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service also frequently used it as a land-based fighter.

In early combat operations, the Zero gained a reputation as a dogfighter,^[3] achieving an outstanding kill ratio of 12 to 1,^[4] but by mid-1942 a combination of new tactics and the introduction of better equipment enabled Allied pilots to engage the Zero on generally equal terms.^[5] By 1943, the Zero was less effective against newer Allied fighters. The Zero lacked hydraulic boosting for its ailerons and rudder, rendering it difficult to maneuver at high speeds. Lack of self-sealing fuel tanks also made it more vulnerable than its contemporaries. By 1944, with Allied fighters approaching the A6M's levels of maneuverability and consistently exceeding its firepower, armor, and speed, the A6M had largely become outdated as a fighter aircraft. However, as design delays and production difficulties hampered the introduction of newer Japanese aircraft models, the Zero continued to serve in a front-line role until the end of the war in the Pacific. During the final phases, it was also adapted for use in kamikaze operations.^[6] Japan produced more Zeros than any other model of combat aircraft during the war.^[7]

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